The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DURING his contribution at the Bahamas Events & Sports’ Meet and Greet for Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, fitness guru Leonardo ‘Nardo’ Dean made a passionate plea for all sporting bodies to come together and work towards a common goal for the betterment of sports in the country.

As one of the guest speakers at the event on Saturday at Fusion Superplex, Dean said having spent more than 40 years in seven different federations as an athlete, coach and administrator, he felt obligated to share his hopes for the future of sports in the country, some of which may have been tried or in the process, but not to bash or bring down anything or anyone, but to uplift our hopes, motivate our leaders and bring dreams back to life.

• Although they represent different sporting disciplines, no man is an island in the pursuit of their various goals.

• Let’s support the Bahamas Olympic Association and the North American, Central America and the Caribbean (NACAC) Athletic Association.

“They seek to open doors of opportunity and lend support to all federations and associations representing The Islands of The Bahamas on the global stage,” Dean said.

• Always have a succession plan.

“We need to teach, share and continue to groom new people interested in the sport,” he said. “We should not just be people just trying to get the spotlight or in it for selfish gain, but people who sincerely have a heart for the sport and for the athletes. “

• Select a representative from each federation or association to form a Sports Advisory Council or Board.

“When we are faced with situations or challenges that affect sports in the country, we can all have a voice and seat at the table to assist our leaders with ideas or information that can assist in resolving the issues at hand,” he stated.

• Find the best leaders for the job.

“Leadership should not always depend on who has the highest qualifications, most popular, been here the longest or any other similar factors, but simply persons with integrity who are knowledgeable, unbiased, experienced, accountable, respected but more importantly, can simply get the job done,” he said.

• All associations and federations should act as professional entities in conduct as well as business.

“I’m sure it’s been a struggle for many and not for a lack of effort, but we should seek to have offices, websites, uniforms, business cards, business plans etc,” he said.

“There are sponsors and companies who want to work with us but we all need to represent ourselves well and be accountable to their investments in us.

• Forget about past glory and update your certifications, mentorship or training programmes.

“As it pertains to our athletes and coaches, development programmes, sporting expos and seminars, ongoing classes and training should be the order of the day, to keep everyone on the cutting edge of their sporting discipline. E.g. watching some trainers in the gym or on the fields,” he said.

• Show appreciation where appreciation is needed.

“No dream or idea should be ignored, but at least listened to, to show our appreciation for the contribution and it should be assessed for value,” he pointed out.

“I have submitted many ideas over the years and every now and then something ‘so called new comes up’ and I say wow someone finally got the memo. However, it’s never too late to try new things.”

• Introduce, teach and develop more core sports in the schools, or partner with after school sporting clubs, as long as they can facilitate what is needed to execute the sport correctly and safely.

“We have so much talent but because of the lack of opportunity in some cases, potential world-class athletes will never get an opportunity to excel because they never got the chance to experience the specific sport for which their potential greatness is held…..waiting just for them,” he said.

• Work on bringing the various gyms, fields, courts, pools or any other sporting venues up to world-class standards.

“We have lost many opportunities to host various world class and regional sporting events, but we just do not have the sporting venues,” he said. “But if we build it, the world will come.”

• Federations/associations need to be accountable for their stewardship.

“We are always asking for change and for more but people and even God is looking to see what we have done with the little we first were given,” Dean said.

“It’s like trying to put new wine in old wine skins, like the bible says they will burst. We must be open, flexible, accepting of new ideas, people and concepts but most importantly, we must be ready.”

• Associations and federations need to network more and support each other.

“At a baseball cook out, why should there only be baseball players there, or at a swimming event, why only swimmers,” he asked. “Whereas, we all have our personal sporting interest, we should still support each other, when possible, as we are all Bahamian sportsmen and we are building a sporting legacy, together.

“We are many different sporting disciplines but still one body, only as strong as the weakest one in this collective chain. Being thoughtful enough to check a general sports calendar, so we all don’t plan an event on the same day, dividing our fans and supporters. When one celebrates, we all celebrate, so clap for someone else until it’s their turn to clap for you.”

• Assist and support athletes in all types of sports.

“Some are doing great things but struggling on their own. Then when they win a big championship or title somewhere, we want to put them on the front page and have a motorcade, when we don’t even know they had to eat tuna, work two jobs, had to have a cookout, school and train and maybe even had to walk to the airport to go represent their sport or our country,” Dean said.

• Each sport can benefit from each other’s sport through training or partnering with another camp.

“You need flexibility,” said Dean about the strength that discipline brings to the table.

“If you really want to know if your players are in overall good conditioning, try another camp as a fun or developmental exercise,” he said.

• Value and support each person in our association and federations, whether on the board or just a member.

“Sadly, there are some people like dead stars in the night sky, who’s light still we see because it’s still travelling here, but the actual star in space, in real time, has burnt out a long time ago,” Dean said.

“Everyone has value, yet for a time and season. As leaders we must sometimes learn to lead from behind and allow the ones who may have the answers but with that quiet strength sit silently in a corner, let them rise to the occasion as good examples of our mentorship or coaching.”

• Opportunities should be equal across the board.

“Yes, the grants or budgets may differ for different associations or federations, but let’s not neglect some of the so-called less popular or smaller sports (yes we know who they are),” he said.

“Yet in their quiet way, the parents and fans support those same athletes and some have even achieved great things. When I was coaching and participating in gymnastics, we had gymnasts up to pre-Olympic level, Trevor and I had to carry the vault and mats outside to do our training because the roof was too low. But no one was into gymnastics.”

Dean recalled how the Chinese ambassador came to one of the gymnastics events and he was amazed to see the talent. He noted that while he used to pick up boys from the Ranfurly Home in his car every Saturday, who were talented and fearless, but they were not pushed enough.

“Jamaica beat us to the Olympics in gymnastics when we had the talent here all along,” he said. “If someone way back then, had only believed.”

• Show genuine interest in our athletes, not only for the gold medals they may bring, but for their personal development.

“Great athletes need balance - body, mind and soul,” said Dean as he made reference to his book Bodyonix - The Trilogy of Fitness. “Over the years we have lost great athletes, not because of physical challenges but because of mental and spiritual breakdowns.

“After the stadium has gone silent, the cameras and crowds are gone, they cry alone. We have former great athletes we once celebrated, now walking the streets and hurting, who will cheer and support them now?”

• No former athletes should be left behind and forgotten, especially the ones who paved the way.

“These persons may not have received cash, property or the celebrations of today’s champions, but they would still appreciate some recognition or acknowledgement,” he said.

“This is not only for them but goes a long way in sharing the history of each sport and teaching our youth the “who is who” in their sport.”

Dean reiterated his plea for the creation of a Sports Museum where those athletes who won’t make the Wall of Fame at the Lynden Pindling International Airport will still be recognised for their accomplishments.

“We all will not get on the airport wall, but we can have a central place where the people of our country and indeed the world, come and taste the excitement, read the history, see the pictures of all the champions of each sport and maybe even be able to view a video library of some of our events and review our constitutions, rules or regulations” he pointed out.

He noted that a Sports Academy where all the sporting associations and federations are represented and athletes both local and international can come to live, train and study specifically sport related subjects and earn certification courses or degrees will do wonders for the country.

“National health & fitness initiative programmes like the one I did years ago ‘Get Fit Bahamas’ or other similar ones that followed, would span nationwide throughout all our islands, each federation playing their part, because like a spice rack,” he said.

“Believe it or not, each of our islands have a special unique flavour, something special to offer, that another island may not have, such as coved harbours, hills, lakes, long roads, open fields, running paths or available land, waiting to be molded for champions.”

Dean also stated that a National Elite Gym should be intricately designed and designated for only elite, pro or national team athletes, where they can get the sports specific equipment, therapies and trainers they need to excel.

“Our athletes should not have to wait to go abroad to experience this, when the knowledge, experience and talent is already represented among you, right here, in this room,” he said.

“Each association and federation should encourage their pro athletes or athletes that have in some way graced the global stage and have networking opportunities to come back home at some time and contribute in some way to the development of their sport.”

He further noted that whether financially, bringing scouts, influencing scholarship opportunities or maybe just even motivating the kids in a local neighbourhood to live positive lifestyles and never give up on their dreams, for impossibility is only what is possible waiting for you to make it happen.

“Why have foreign athletic personalities on our local Bahamian products, when we have such a rich history of Bahamian sporting heroes right here, yet whose faces or achievements still are not well known by our own people,” he said.

Dean said while we continue to build the greatest sporting body of associations and federations in the Caribbean, there are enough people who are applauded and respected by the athletes we represent, with visions, open minded proactive plans, skills, talent and the passion to make it happen, are right here….. right now ….watching and represented in this room. I want to applaud those who have had the passion, fortitude and determination to go the distance.

“We all have our stories, have shed some tears, enjoyed our laughter and triumphs, yes,” he said.

“Yet in spite of the challenges, idle talk and disappointments we have held on for this season, the era of a new beginning, should we choose to seize this day.

“Like a glass when broken, that light passing through that shattered prism, is refracted and what once seemed like white light, now is seen as a spectrum of colours. Those colours are each and every one of you, every association and federation having its own colour, yet when we come together, we shine as one light, one vision, one passion, one goal.”

Dean commended Bowleg and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investment and Aviation, I Chester Cooper, whom he said have already proven their proactive interest in the change and development of local sports, sports tourism, our athletes, coaches, associations and federations here in the islands of The Bahamas.

And he lauded BES, headed by the husband and wife team of Tommy and Makeva Wallace- Stubbs for hosting the Meet and Greet and having the foresight and proactive open minded approach to working with the sporting bodies in any way needed to help contribute towards the success of our collective organisation.